How often should fall protection equipment be inspected?

Fall protection equipment should be inspected regularly. Here's a breakdown of the inspection requirements:

• Before Each Use: Personal fall arrest systems must be inspected prior to each use for mildew, wear, damage, and other deterioration 2, 9, 14. Defective components must be removed from service if their strength or function may be adversely affected [1].
• Regular Inspections: Personal fall arrest systems must be regularly inspected 1, 3.
• Periodic Inspections by Competent Person: A competent person should inspect fall-protection systems before initial use and periodically as recommended by the manufacturer, installer, or an engineer [2].

Any components with significant defects like cuts, tears, abrasions, mold, undue stretching, alterations, corrosion, distorted hooks, or nonfunctioning parts must be immediately withdrawn from service and tagged or marked as unusable, or destroyed 1, 3, 4.

After a personal fall arrest system has stopped a fall, the system must be removed from service [3] and inspected by a competent person to determine if it's undamaged and suitable for reuse 2, 4, 9, 14.